Apparently it is still possible to find unique Alpina’s in the Netherlands. I regularly check websites such as Autoscout24 and Mobile but always the foreign ones. On the Dutch website hardly any interesting cars appear for sale. Not about two months ago. Suddenly a very poor ad draw my attention. It only indicated that an Alpina Touring V8 was for sale with a manual transmission. The year of first registration was 1995….No pictures attached, no description but that the engine and gearbox were removed but complete. Mmm, that had to be an E34. But in the Netherlands? A one of only 6 build Alpina’s? I could hardly believe it so decided to leave it. It probably concerned a BMW 540i Touring with Alpina wheels. But after two days my curiosity made me check the ad again. It was still for sale but still no pictures and no description. Since the car was located near my office in Amsterdam I decided to make an appointment. Could it be?

After a few days, early in the morning, I steered my dailydriver onto a small industrial estate near the Keukenhof. Can this really be the place? A small body shop with a few tired BMW’s at the front and side of it? The owner of the bodyshop opened the door and introduced himself. Before we got to see the car he told me the story about the Alpina. Yes, it really was a one of 6 build E34 B10 Tourings with manual transmission! Almost 6 years ago his phone rang and a guy asked him if he could take a look at his car. He had just purchased it in Germany and after a few weeks of hard driving he felt the car lost some power. Ofcourse, no problem, he answered. A week later a disapointed Alpina-owner left his workshop without his car. It turned out the head gaskets were gone and he had blown a hole between 2 cylinders! Repairing was going to be a costly job so they made an agreement: work on the car was done between jobs and during that time the Alpina-owner paid rent for the place the Alpina took in at the body shop. After 6 years (!) no work was done because the rent was never paid and the two guys agreed upon a deal which included the rent payable was exchanged for the car! Selling that big old purple Touring then was his first concern and to me it appeared to be a true barn find! The body was immaculate, the interior even finer with extended Buffalo leather upholstery. In the glove compartment I found an extensive servicing history and the spare keys! We made a deal on the spot and I had the car picked up a few days later. Again a few days later it was already at the Alpina factory where it now undergoes an extensive restoration. The lesson I learned again was to never underestimate an ad that on first sight appears to be nothing special…